Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
USDA Claims Screwworm Outbreak Is Under Control, Not A Threat To Food Supply
Bloomberg: Screwworm Outbreak Not Threat To Food Supply, Agriculture Secretary Says
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sought to reassure senators Wednesday that the recent screwworm outbreak is under control and not a threat to the country’s food supply. “Over the past week and a half, USDA has confirmed six cases of the New World screwworm within the US, all but one in the south of Texas,” Rollins said while testifying before the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We know this development is a serious threat but it did not catch us off guard.” (Umansky-Castro, 6/10)
Bloomberg: Screwworm Outbreak In Texas Puts Spotlight On USDA Staffing And Response
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pushed back on suggestions that staff cuts at her agency could slow the agency’s response to the outbreak of a deadly cattle parasite in the US. The US Department of Agriculture has added more than 100 full-time employees to work on New World screwworm over the last 15 months in preparation for the parasite to arrive in the country, Rollins said at a Senate hearing Wednesday. (Elkin, 6/10)
The Hill: Trump Administration Blames Joe Biden's Immigration Policies For Screwworm
As cases of New World screwworm spread and threaten the beef and cattle industry, the Trump administration is rolling out a familiar playbook: Blame former President Biden. The parasitic fly had been eliminated in the U.S. since the 1960s, but now it’s back, and according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the new resurgence is entirely due to the lax immigration policies of former President Biden’s administration. “The threat didn’t appear overnight; it was the direct result of the Biden-Harris Admin’s WEAK foreign policy agenda and FAILED immigration policies,” Rollins wrote in a social media post last week. (Weixel, 6/10)
Ebola and World Cup worries –
The New York Times: U.S. Ebola Unit Sparks Fury, Protests And A Political Crisis In Kenya
The U.S. plan to open an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya was meant to help contain the outbreak by isolating American patients exposed to the virus. Instead, it has caused an outbreak of violence and political rancor, with hundreds of Kenyans taking to the streets in protest. (Mpoke Bigg and Schmitt, 6/10)
CIDRAP: Ebola Case Count Nears 600 As Feds Ask For Travel Restrictions Ahead Of World Cup
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) government said yesterday the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to 598, with 115 deaths. All cases in the DRC are from Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. The case-fatality rate of the DRC outbreak now stands at 19.2%. Almost 300 patients (297) are currently being treated in Ebola facilities for their infections, and 22 people have recovered. (Soucheray, 6/10)
The Washington Post: The Infectious Diseases Experts Worry Could Spread During The World Cup
When millions of soccer fans descend on North America this month for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they will bring more than team jerseys and national pride. They will also bring the microbes that travel with people. Public health officials have spent years preparing for the tournament, which is expected to draw visitors from more than 100 countries to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Although diseases such as Ebola and hantavirus have been in the headlines, public health experts say the diseases most likely to show up in clinics, emergency departments or urgent care centers are likely to be less exotic. (Sun, 6/10)
AP: Meet The People Trying To Stop Germs From Ruining The World Cup
While millions of soccer fans cheer or groan over World Cup matches spanning North America, health officials will be on high alert for germs. A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are set to scrutinize wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing. Measles, one of the most contagious diseases, is among the top concerns, sparking a warning this week from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO. (Neergaard, 6/10)
Hantavirus and listeria updates —
San Francisco Chronicle: Possible Hantavirus Case Investigated At San Quentin
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center is awaiting state and federal test results after an incarcerated person showed symptoms that could be consistent with hantavirus, the rare rodent-borne virus that has drawn renewed attention after a recent cruise ship outbreak. cruise ship outbreak. (Vaziri, 6/10)
CIDRAP: CDC: 9 Cases Now Confirmed In Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked To Soft Cheese
According to an update yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are now nine cases of listeriosis linked to an ongoing outbreak involving soft ricotta cheese. So far eight people have been hospitalized and one person from Maryland has died from his or her infection. Three people each have been sickened in New York, Maryland, and Virginia. Of the eight people interviewed, six reported eating any soft cheese prior to symptom onset. (Soucheray, 6/10)
